MINDANAO

STATE UNIVERSITY – NAAWAN

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTANCY
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF ASIAN CUISINE
At the end of the discussion, the students should be able to:
① Discuss the culinary influence of Asian cuisine
② Identify the roots of Asian cooking
③ Enumerate contributions of countries influential in the birth of Asian cuisine
④ Differentiate one cooking method from another
⑤ Explain the importance of safety and sanitation
⑥ Strengthen observance of physical hygiene
⑦ Observe safety and sanitation in the kitchen

ASIAN CUISINE
• One of the emerging cuisines in the world
• A mixture of various cooking styles (__________________ cooking) as it is influenced by
different culinary culture from countries __________________, __________________, and
__________________.
• Middle East
• __________________
• British
• __________________
• Portuguese
• __________________
• Other European countries and nearby nations
• It is the culmination of the following influences as proven by the balance of flavors,
refinement and a distinct creativity of food presentation
• __________________
• __________________
• Islamic
• __________________
• Christianity

ASIAN MAP

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MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY – NAAWAN
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTANCY
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

REGIONS OF ASIA
• __________________ Asia • __________________ Asia
• Bangladesh • China
• Bhutan • Hong Kong
• India • Japan
• Pakistan • Macau
• Nepal • Mongolia
• Sri Lanka • North Korea
• __________________ Asia • South Korea
• Brunei • Taiwan
• Burma (Myanmar) • __________________ Asia
• Cambodia • Bahrain
• Timor-Leste • Iraq
• Indonesia • Jordan
• Laos • Kuwait
• Malaysia • Lebanon
• Philippines • Oman
• Singapore • State of Palestine
• Thailand • Qatar
• Vietnam • Saudi Arabia
• __________________ Asia • Syrian Arab Republic
• Kazakhstan • United Arab Emirates
• Kyrgyz Republic • Yemen
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

THE THREE CUISINE AREAS OF ASIA
• South West Asia:
• __________________
• Pakistan
• __________________
• Burma
• North East Asia:
• __________________
• Korea
• __________________
• South East Asia:
• __________________
• Laos
• __________________
• Vietnam
• __________________
• Malaysia
• __________________
• Singapore
• __________________

VEGETABLES, FRUITS AND HERBS
• Fruits – __________________ are very common in Asian cuisine. The presence of such
fruits like: pineapple, durian (either eaten raw or used as dessert ingredient), papaya, lychee,
mango, dragon fruit, and rambutan are characteristic for Asian cuisine in general.
• Vegetables – fresh and dried, wide range of varieties.
• Herbs and spices - the presence of coriander (also as seeds) is characteristics for Asian
cuisine. It is a component of many dishes and goes well with seafood and soups (especially
in China). The basic vegetables are __________________ and __________________ (ginger-
like look, different taste, known in especially in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos for its

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MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY – NAAWAN
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTANCY
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

spicy taste and is used fresh or dried). __________________ can also be included to the
base; the lemon flavor enhances many dishes, even desserts. Also different kinds of
__________________ with different degrees of spiciness (especially in Thailand is a common
spice and base for oils and pastes. Basil (slightly different from the Mediterranean version)
or star anise are also worth mentioning.

ASIAN HERBS AND SPICES
Common Herbs
• Chilies Common Spices
• Chinese chives • Green Cardamon
• __________________ (and cassia • __________________
bark) • Coriander
• Fresh coriander (aka __________) • Cumin
• Curry leaves • Fenugreek seeds
• Fenugreek • __________________
• __________________ • Nigella
• Ginger • Seven-spice
• Golden Needles • __________________
• Kaffir Lime Leaves
• __________________
• Star Anise
• Thai Basil

MEAT AND SEAFOOD
• Meat – except multi-cultural India, Asian cuisine is mostly based on __________________:
pork, beef, mutton, poultry (especially ducks) – there isn’t special objection to its
consumption. More interestingly, even snakes, frogs or snails are eaten in China and
Vietnam and ants, grasshoppers, locusts and others are consumed in Thailand.
• Fish and seafood – any fish, shrimps, octopus, squids, mussels, crabs - all of them you can
find on Asian table, prepared in many ways. Also raw seafood is popular in Japan.

SAUCES, PASTES AND OTHERS
• __________________– in Vietnam and China, it is primarily a component of desserts, while
in India and Thailand it is used for regular meals often to appease their spiciness.
• __________________– a product from fermented rice. There are 3 types:
__________________ (the most alcohol-like, used to enhance sour flavor and pickle
vegetables (very popular in Vietnam)), __________________ (slightly acidic component
sauces, pasta, and fish) and __________________ (no bitterness, with a strong flavor, good
for fried dishes and sauces). Japanese has a mild and less sour taste from its Chinese
counterpart. Plays an important role in the preparation of sushi.
• __________________– paste from fermented shrimps. During cooking, it leaves a fish-like
aroma. Vietnamese version’s consistency is more liquid and bright.
• __________________– a thick, dark brown, condensed sauce, prepared on the basis of
oyster extract. It intensively highlights the taste of dishes. It is often used as a marinade,
sauce for frying, or sometimes as a base for soups.
• Soy sauce – a popular sauce, which enhance flavor of dishes, made from fermented
__________________. It is used everywhere. However soy sauce is the most common in
China, where several varieties are distinguished: __________________ (thick, perfect for red
meat, also as a marinade), __________________ (for delicate meat), mushroom soy sauce
(made with dried mushrooms, the aroma is “heavy” therefore the sauce is suitable only for
red meats) and a few other varieties (including with chili).
• Fish sauce – it is made from fermented __________________, __________________ and
__________________. It adds aroma and salty taste and serve as marinade. In Vietnam is
used more often than soy sauce. The best fish sauce is being made on Vietnamese Phu Quoc
island.

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MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY – NAAWAN
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTANCY
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

ADDITIVES
• Mushrooms – the most common mushrooms are cloud ear fungus (spice-like taste, crispy),
po-ku (also called shiitake, salty taste especially when dried), straw mushrooms (sweet) and
enoki mushrooms (tiny and crispy – suitable for salads and soups)
• __________________– often added to many dishes, even desserts, especially in Chinese
cuisine. The most commonly used are duck’s eggs, but those from chicken or quail can also
be found.
• __________________– besides rice, __________________ is the most common basic
ingredient used in Asian cuisine. It is formed from water and any kind of starch. In Japan, it
is the most popular ingredient in soups. The best known are: __________________ (brown-
grey noodles made from buckwheat flour) and __________________ (thick wheat noodles).
In Thailand or Vietnam, noodle is served in a number of versions: rice noodles, arrowroot
and manioc noodles, tapioca noodles and many others. The Chinese, however, do not apply
rice noodles on that scale. More popular are noodles made from eggs or soybeans.
Moreover, Koreans like noodle formed from sweet potatoes (yams). Even in India, although
not as popular, noodle with chick peas and corn starch are sometimes used.
• __________________– the basic of most cuisine in Asia. There are many variations of rice
and ways to prepare it. Rice can be cooked (also steamed), fried and seasoned in any way. In
India, __________________, one of the noblest variety, is characterized with slightly nutty
flavor and a long and narrow grains, also with added saffron or turmeric. Thai people, in the
other hand, prefer jasmine rice and glutinous rice (both white and black). The Japanese also
eat rice with a high tackiness (it is easy eaten with chopsticks). Wine, vinegar and flour can
be made from rice. Moreover, the rice paper are also very common (sometimes with the
addition of black or white sesame) as it is primarily used to wrap spring rolls, a popular dish
in Thailand and Vietnam. Rice paper cut into strips can be used as pasta.
• __________________– made from fermented soybeans, tofu has become an alternative to
meat for vegetarians (popular due to Buddhists and Hindus believes). Chinese consider it as
a good source of protein as they do not use milk in their diet. The Japanese version is oilier.

CURRIES
__________________ are very important to the cuisines of the South East and South West, less so in
the cuisine of the North East. South Western curries are generally based on __________________,
whereas the curries of the South East and North East are generally based on __________________.

OIL
In the South West, the major oil used in frying is __________________or __________________. In
the South East and North East, the major oils are __________________.

ASIAN BASIC COOKING METHODS
① Stir Frying ⑤ Boiling
② Deep Frying ⑥ Steaming
③ Roasting ⑦ Stewing
④ Grilling ⑧ Blanching

KITCHEN SAFETY AND SANITATION
SAFETY
① Layouts or design of the kitchen is one of the important factors to be considered
② The arrangement of the equipment in the facility
③ Strict adherence to the safety rules and regulations imposed during laboratory activities
④ Using the right tools and cookware or equipment

SANITATION
① The danger of food contamination
② Undesirable bacteria
③ Toxins
④ Foreign matters
⑤ The cause of foodborne disease

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